Vaporizer for liquid petroleum supply tanks



Sept. 4, 1956 G. H. BILLUE ETAL 2,761,286

VAPORIZER FOR LIQUID PETROLEUM SUPPLY TANKS Filed March 18,l 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l f 26 l2-- o 22 35 FIG. 2.

GA/NES H. B/LLUE 4 MELV/N IM CROCKE TT INVENTORS l ATTORNEY Sept. 4, 1956 G. H. alLLuE ETAL 2,761,286

VAPORIZER FOR LIQUID PETROLEUM SUPPLY TANKS 2 Sheeths-Sheet 2 Filed March 18, 1955 GA INES H. B/LLUE MELV/N W. CROCKE TT INVENTORS' FIG. 4.

ATTORNEY 2,76l,286 Patented Sept. 4, 1956 ice 2,761,286 vAPoRIZnn non LIQUID PETROLEUM SUPPLY TANKS Gaines H. Eillue, Wichita Falls, and Melvin W. Crockett, Dallas, Tex.

Application March 18, 1955, Serial No. 495,116 3 Claims. (Cl. 62--1) This invention relates to liquid petroleum gas systems and has reference to a vaporizer therefor.

The use of liquid petroleum gas systems is common in areas Where natural gas is not available for heating, cooking and industrial purposes. The nature of butane gas, having a boiling point near thirty-four degrees Fahrenheit at atmospheric pressure, makes it especially suitable for this use because it can be stored in liquid form at relatively low pressures and can be converted to its gaseous state at mild temperatures. Other liquid petroleum gases in combinations or blended can be made to possess some of acteristics of butane gas. When these liquid petroleum gases are stored in metal tanks above the ground they are exposed to the extremes of cold weather which impair their vaporization and may cause their dependent systems to become inoperative. When their container tanks are buried beneath the ground to utilize the natural heat of the earth the systems become diiiicult to service and dangerous to repair during extremely cold Weather. Auxiliary heating units for surface installations present an expensive and dangerous alternative. Pressure fed systems from surface tanks to buried revaporizing units may fail when temperatures fall and normal operating pressures are no longer available to force vaporized gas out of the surface tank.

An important object of this invention is to provide a vaporizer for liquid petroleum gas supply tanks which may be used efficiently, economically, and safely to supply vapors at constant pressures from liquid petroleum gas under varying weather conditions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a vaporizer for liquid petroleum gas which may be used eiciently with surface storage tanks under Varying Weather conditions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a vaporizer for liquid petroleum gas which may operate from a surface storage tank independently of the pressure contained therein.

A further object of this invention is to provide a vaporizer for liquid petroleum gas which may be gravity fed from a surface storage tank without loosing appreciable pressure Within the system it feeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a liquid petroleum gas system including a vaporizer of the type. described herein.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of a vaporizer of the type described herein taken along the line 2--2 in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the lower portion of a vaporizer of the type described herein.

, Figure 4 is a broken elevation and sectional view of the upper portion of a vaporizer of the type described herein.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the base of the gas storage chamber of a device of the type described herein.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the gravity ow control system of the invention.

the advantageous char with other hydrocarbons i From the drawings it will be noted that a storage tank 10 containing liquid petroleum gas 11 is situated above the surface of the ground; a gravity flow line 12 is connected to the storage tank near its base and is connected at its other end to a iianged opening 13 in one side of the vaporizer above the ground at a level. no higher than the gravity ilow line connection to the storage tank. Aflixed to the inside of the opening 13 and projecting horizontally therefrom into the vaporizer is an internal cylinder 14 closed at its inner end and having a vertically directed cylindrical orifice 15 through its upper wall. A ball valve 16 is positioned vertically opposite the top of the orifice 15 and has its hemispherical valve seat 17 located in the upper Wall of the cylinder 14 adjacent to and concentric with the axis of the orifice 15. A pivoted arm 18 mounted in a vertical plane of rotation on a pivot pin 19 is ahxed at its outer end to the top of the ball valve 16 and is provided on its inner end with a vertically aligned groove, not numbered. A mounting bracket 20 supporting the pivot pin 19 projects vertically from its basal attachment at one side of the cylinder 14 and thence horizontally over the pivoted arm 18 at which point it is provided with a recessed notch conining one end of a compressed spring 21, the other end of whichV is coniined by a similar notch in arm 18 above its pivotal support.

A pressure equalization line 22 is connected at one end to the storage tank 10 near its top and is connected at its other end to an opening 23 in the side of the vaporizer opposite the first described opening i3. Aiiixed to the inside of the opening 23 and projecting horizontally therefrom into the Vaporizer is another internal cylinder 24 closed at its inner end and having a vertically directed cylindrical orifice 25 through its upper wall. A ball valve 26 is positioned vertically opposite the top of the orifice 2S and has its hemispherical valve seat 27 located in the upper wall of the cylinder 24 adjacent to and concentric with the axis of the orifice 25. An arm 2S pivotally mounted in a vertical plane of rotation on pivot pin 29 is amxed at its outer end to the top of the ball valve 26 and is provided on its inner end with a vertically aligned groove, not numbered, the uppermost part of which is slightly higher than the uppermost part of the vertically aligned groove on the inner end ofthe first described pivot arm 18. A mounting bracket 30 supporting the pivot pin 29 projects vertically from its basal attachment at one side of the cylinder 24 and thence horizontally over the arm 23, at which point it is provided with a recessed notch confining one end of a compressed spring 31 the other end of which is confined by a similar notch in the top of the arm 28 directly above its pivotal support.

A vertically extending rod 32 passes between and hori zontally confined by the vertical grooves in the inner ends of the pivoted arms 18 and 28 and has an elongated upright float 33 of leakproof hollow construction and cylindrical shape secured to the lower end of said rod. Fin-like float guides 34 project outward from the circumference of the float 33 positioning said lioat vertically Within a vaporizing chamber 35 which is essentially a pipe-like container being closed at its base and has heat conducting tins 36 projecting outward into the soil from its exterior circumference. A valve housing 37, in which the openings 13 and 23 are located, is fastened at its base to the top of the vaporizing chamber 35. Collars` 38 and 39 are ixedly mounted on the rod 32 at positions above and below the inward extending ends of the arms 18 and 23. A gas storage pressure chamber d@ having a depending conical base is affixed atop the valve housing 37. Within the top of the base of the pressure chamber 46 there is a check valve 41 supported by a check valve seat 42 and connecting the pressure chamber the top of the pivoted 40 with the vap'orizing chamber 35. A bleeder hole 43 or orice of relatively small diameter and having its upper limits beside and slightly beneath the upper limits of the check valve seat 42" also connects the pressure chamber' 40 with the vaporizing` chamber 3-5. A service main 44 is connected to the pressure chamber 45B and isso constructed that a gradual incline is provided toward the pressure chamber from all points within the service main. Thermal insulation material 45 is contained within an insulation jacket 46 provided about all parts of the vaporizer, including the service main, whicn are situated above the frost line of the ground.

In operation, liquid petroleum gas is vaporized within the vaporizingy chamber 3S by utilization of the` natural heat of the earth absorbed by the buried surface of' the vaporizing chamber 35 and its heat conducting ns 36. As the liqueiied gas is vaporized the tloat 33 which is supported thereby descends within the vapori-zing chamber carrying with it the vertically extending rod 32 and the collars 38 and 39 affixed thereon. When the sup.- ply of liquid petroleum gas within the vaporizing chamber 35 nears exhaustion the higher collar 38 makes contact with the upper inner extremity of the pivoted arm 2S, depressing the inward extending portion of that arm which by its pivotal mounting raises the ball valve 26 from its seat 27 atop the oriiice 25. The compressed spring 31 by its confinement above the pivotal mounting in the pivoted arm Z8 alternately exerts force toward either end of the arm so that the valve 26 once opened will remain open until actuated in an opposite direction, and once closed will remain closed until it is moved from that position by an actuating force. When the collar 38 engages and opens the valve 26 it thus remains open and liquid petroleum gas vapors flow from the vaporizing chamber 35 into the storage tank 10 or vice versa through the orifice 25, the cylinder 24, and the pressure equaliza tion line 22 so that the pressures within those two containers are equalized; during periods of cold weather the resulting equilibrium causes a pressure reduction within the vaporizing chamber 35 and the check valve 41 in the base of the pressure chamber is held against its seat 42 by the relative increase of pressure above it so that useful pressure is retained. Heat from the earth causes liquid petroleum gas to continue to be vaporized within the vaporization chamber 35 and the resulting decline in the liquid level therein lowers the float 33 and its vertical rod 32 so that the higher collar 38 aixed thereon makes contact with the upper inner extremity of the pivoted arm 18, the depression of which raises and holds open the valve 16 coacting with the pivoted arm 18, pivot pin 19, and spring 21 in a like manner to the previously dcscribed valve 26, arm 2S, pivot pin 29 and spring 31. The opening of the valve 16 forces by gravity the liow of liquid petroleum gas from the lower portion of the storage tank 10 through the gravity ow line 12, the internal cylinder 14, and the orifice into the vaporizingtchamber 35 where it replenishes the depleted supply of liquid and raises its level. As the liquid level within the vaporizing chamber rises, the float 33, the rod 32 and the collars 38 and 39 are carried upward until the lower collar 39 simultaneously engages the lower inner extremities of the arms 18 and 28, elevating them so that by their pivotal action the valves 16 and 26 are closed and held closed by the springs 21 and 31; the closing of these valves shuts off the flow of liquid fromA the storage tank 10 and discontinues pressure communication between that tank and the vaporizing chamber 35, permitting a pressure increase by vaporization and to proceed therein until sufficiently advanced to force gas once again within the main to empty through the check valve 41 from the vaporizing chamber 70 35 into the pressure chamber 4Q. An efticient and dependable supply of liquid petroleum vapors is thus generated for use through the service main 44. The thermal insulation material contained about all parts of the vaporizer above the frost line by the insulation jacket 46 reduces heat loss and lessens recondensation of the vapors. Since no insulation is perfect, however, a small quantity of recondensed liquid petroleum gas may accumulate within the service main 44 and the pressure chamber 40. The construction of the service main 44 inclining downward toward the pressure chamber 40 permits that liquid by gravity into the pressure chamber; the bleeder hole 43 allows the liqueed gas to be drawn back into the vaporizing chamber by the difference in pressure existing within the pressure chamber 40 and the vaporizingl chamber 35 when the latter is being recharged.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shown and described but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. ln a liquid petroleum gas vaporizer including a storage tank, the combination of a vaporizing chamber at least part of which is buried in the ground, a oat adapted to be suspended by liquid within the chamber, a valve connecting said vaporizing chamber to the lower part of said storage tank, means operatively connecting said valve with said float, another valve connecting said vaporizing chamber to the upper part of said storage tank, and means operatively connecting the second said valve with said oat, a pressure chamber mounted above and connected with said vaporizing chamber, a check valve in the connection between said pressure chamber and said vaporizing chamber, and means conducting liquid petroleum gas vapors from said pressure chamber to gas out-lets.

2. In a liquid petroleum gas vaporizer including a storage tank, the combination of a vaporizing chamber at leas-t part of which is buried in the ground, a float adapted to be suspended by liqueied petroleum gas within said vaporizing chamber, a pressure chamber mounted above and connected with said vaporizing chamber, a line connecting said vaporizing chamber with the lower or liquid storage portion of said tank, a valve in said line arranged to prevent return ow therethrough, another line connecting said vaporizing chamber with the upper or gas storage portion of said storage tank, a valve in the last said line arranged to permit pressure in said vaporizer chamber to enter said storage tank, linkage connecting said oat with the last said valve, and means connecting said vaporizing chamber with supply outlets.

3. In a liquid petroleum gas vaporizer including a Storage tank, the combination of a vaporizing chamber at least part of which is buried in the ground, a oat adapted to be suspended by liquid within the chamber, a valve connecting said vaporizing chamber to the lower part of said storage tank, a rod extending upwardly from said float, spring loaded means operatively connecting said lrod with said valve, another valve connecting said vaporizing chamber to the upper part of said storage tank, spring loaded means operatively connectingV the second saidvalve with said rod, the first said spring loaded means being arranged to close the rst said valve before the second said spring loaded means closes the second said valve on the downward movement of said float, a pressure chamber mounted above and connected with said vaporizing chamber, a check valve in the connection between said pressure chamber and said vaporizing chamber, and means conducting liquid petroleum gas vapors from said pressure chamber to gas outlets,

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

